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As America turns 250, these essential reads bring our nation's story to life – from gripping historical mysteries to sweeping narratives of revolution and founding. Whether you love fiction or nonfiction, there's something on this list to deepen your appreciation of the American story.
1776 by David McCullough
A celebrated historian vividly recounts 1776 — the pivotal year America was born — tracing decisions on both sides of the Atlantic that put the nation's fate in Washington's hands.
The American Revolution: An Intimate History by Geoffrey Ward
A richly illustrated, human-centered history of America’s founding struggle
The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful sentences: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
In 1789 Maine, midwife Martha Ballard investigates a rape case involving a frozen corpse and a missing judge in this historical mystery thriller.
George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade
The true story of an anonymous group of spies who played lesser-known, important roles in winning the Revolutionary War, documenting how they risked their lives to obtain crucial intelligence for General Washington using sophisticated tactics and complex codes.
The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson
Meticulously researched, this edition of the bestselling history of the American Revolution documents the key battles from the beginning of the war that tell a story of liberation fraught with contradiction and intrigue
A Girl Called Sampson by Amy Harmon
Sold into indentured servitude after her Puritan father abandons the family, Deborah Samson disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental Army, in the new novel from the New York Times best-selling author of A Different Blue.
The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of America’s Founding by Joseph Ellis
An astounding look at how America’s founders—Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Adams – regarded the issue of slavery as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.